MISSOULA — Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is obviously the biggest threat Montana faces on Saturday when the Grizzlies kick off at Oregon, but coach Bobby Hauck and the guys touched on how special the group that protects him is.
Coming into the 2019 season, Oregon's offensive line had a combined 153 starts between its guys.
"To me, I’ve seen a lot of Oregon teams over the years and to me this is the best offensive line I’ve seen in an Oregon uniform," said Hauck.
Three of them stand taller than 6-foot-5 and none of them weigh less than 300 pounds. Simply put: They make up one of the most skilled and intimidating lines in all of college football.
Hauck said he attributes that to the head coach and O-line guru Mario Cristobal.
"The way they are playing up front on offense I think is a direct reflection of him. As I’ve mentioned, I think this is the best front I’ve seen out of an Oregon group and that starts with the head coach,” said Hauck.
Headed into the matchup Montana knows that offensive front opens the playbook up to a number of other weapons in the Oregon offense.
"Their offensive guys, their O-linemen, they’re fast. Quarterback is a great player, one of the best guys in the country. Same thing with the receivers, they’ve got speed. The running backs have speed. You know, it’s just going to be fun. It’s a great opportunity for us and we got to play a great game and hopefully get after it," said safety Robbie Hauck.
